Why good enough isn’t good enough

I was talking to my partner in rhyme, James, the other day. We were working on something, and talking about a few projects, and got onto the subject of “done is better than not done”.

Which is always true.

Building good habits is the foundation of good business – practice is key.

A crappy thing done has 100% more chance of success than something that never gets out there. That’s obvious.

But we decided something else, too: it’s annoying when people say “good enough is good enough”. I don’t agree, actually. If you absolutely, genuinely have to get something out there and don’t have enough time to polish it, then yeah — done is better than not done.

But if you have time — i.e. if you’ve planned properly — good enough isn’t good enough. At least, not for me. (And him.) Great is good enough.

Don’t bother with “perfect” because there’s no such thing… if you’re doing paid work for clients, though, you should make damn sure your work is great. Not just good, but great. And as for your own stuff — do you really want to settle for only “good enough”? Aren’t you worth more than that?

Make time for your own mission (something I was reminded of yesterday reading Ben Settle’s Villains book). Pay yourself first — meaning, give yourself space before anything else to work on your own mission, and make it great.

Make greatness a habit. If you do, you’ll consistently produce better and better work, for yourself and for your clients. The better you get, the better you’ll strive to be. It’s like a vicious circle, only a good one.

Building good habits is the foundation of good business — and you can discover exactly how to do that in February’s newsletter, which goes to print the day after tomorrow. Subscription info here:

Vicky Fraser is a copywriter, author, and entrepreneur. She really did run away with the circus… but when she’s not swinging from a trapeze, she’s showing other copywriters and small business owners how to work with better clients, make more money, and stop missing bathtimes, first words, and dinners with angry partners. In fact, she wrote the book on it. Get your copy here.

PS In this issue, you’ll discover:

How your brain works — and how you can you train yourself to be more disciplined, more productive, and better at what you do.

Why you’re basically a collection of habits, and how that affects almost every aspect of your behaviour (in and outside your business).

How you can use your understanding of habits to create truly sticky marketing your ideal customer will want to read and respond to.

How you can create habits in your customers to encourage them to buy more from you, more often, and at a higher price (and do it with a smile on their faces).

The practical stuff you need to break bad habits and create good habits — and make your business more profitable and more enjoyable.